I almost missed [the announcement](http://www.liftconference.com/your-opportunity-speak-lift-expiring-5-days). Submissions for [workshops](http://www.liftconference.com/lift08-workshops), [open stage speeches](http://www.liftconference.com/lift08-openstage), [discussions](http://www.liftconference.com/lift08-discussions) or [the venture night](http://www.liftconference.com/lift08-propositions-for-venture-night) at the [LIFT conference](http://liftconference.com) close today! (I don’t know exactly when, but remember that LIFT is European, so it might very well be end-of-day CET.)

If you click on the links above you can already see what has been proposed. I’ve proposed [a workshop (Get Started With Blogging)](http://www.liftconference.com/get-started-blogging) — you can already [sign up for workshops](http://www.liftconference.com/lift08-workshops) by visiting the page of the workshop you’re interested in and adding your name to the page — and [an open stage speech](http://www.liftconference.com/going-solo-being-freelancer-connected-world) in which I want to tell the story behind [Going Solo](http://going-solo.net) (I also reproduced it [on the Going Solo blog](http://going-solo.net/2008/01/20/being-a-freelancer-in-a-connected-world/) — have you subscribed to it yet?).

I’m going to send in a [discussion proposal](http://www.liftconference.com/node/add/discussion) too (thought you could avoid me? tough!) — most certainly around all the [language and multilingualism](/focus/multilingual) stuff that’s been going around in my head lately. I was hesitating with something about [teenagers and the internet](/tags/youth/) but as I see there is already [a workshop on the topic (Teenagers/Generation Y and Technology)](http://www.liftconference.com/teenagers-generation-y-and-technology), which I want to attend, I think it’s better to come up with a totally different topic.

Any thoughts?

**Update, 1pm:** sent in proposal for language discussion: [All These Languages! Localization and Multilingualism Online](http://www.liftconference.com/all-these-languages-localization-and-multilingualism-online) — if you’re interested in being one of the “discussion starters”, get in touch (otherwise, please vote for my proposal!)

I just realised, [reading Brian’s post](http://www.brianoberkirch.com/2007/09/13/gum-flapping-youve-been-warned/), that I haven’t blogged about the two panel proposals I’m on for [SXSW Interactive next March in Austin, Texas](http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/):

* [Opening the Web to Linguistic Realities](http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/544) (co-presenting with [Stephanie Troeth](http://www.webstandards.org/about/members/steph/))
** A basic assumption on the Internet is that everybody speaks and understands one language at a time. Globalism and immigration has created an even more prominent trend of multilingualism amongst the world’s inhabitants. How can the WWW and its core technologies keep up? How can we shift our biased perspectives?
* [Lost in Translation? Top Website Internationalization Lessons](http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/349) (panel I’m moderating)
** How do you publish software or content for a global audience? Our expert panel discusses lessons learned translating and localizing. Leaders from Flickr, Google, iStockphoto and the Worldwide Lexicon will tackle various marketing issues; how to translate the ‘feel’ of a Web site, and; best practices for software and content translation.

As you can see, both proposals revolve around the use of languages on the internet — and as you know, it’s one of the topics [I care about](http://climbtothestars.org/archives/2007/06/22/what-do-you-care-about/) nowadays. I’ve spoken on this topic a few times now ([BlogCamp ZH](http://climbtothestars.org/archives/2007/03/25/blogcamp-multilingual-blogging-session/), [Reboot9](http://www.reboot.dk/artefact-773-en.html), [Google Tech Talks](http://climbtothestars.org/archives/2007/07/10/talk-languages-on-the-internet-at-google-tomorrow/)) and I’m looking forward to taking things further with these new chances to toss these problems around in public.

80 or so of the [700+ panel submissions to SXSW Interactive](http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/) will be selected by public voting and actually take place. That’s not a lot (roughly 10%). So **please** go and vote for these two panels (“Amazing” will do) so that they make it into the selection. I really want to go to Austin! (Can you hear me begging? OK, over. But please vote.)

Other than that, I have a few more talks planned in the coming months:

– a [talk on corporate blogging](http://climbtothestars.org/archives/2007/08/11/corporate-blogging-talk-draft/) in Zürich ([MScom alumni Jour Fixe](http://www.mscomalumni.ch/news/events_full.html?events_id=47), private event) [Sept. 24]
– future jobs of the web (evolution of the “webmaster”) at [BlogCamp Lausanne](http://barcamp.ch/BarCampLausanne#Proposed_Sessions), and probably a second session either on languages or [teenagers online](http://climbtothestars.org/archives/2007/09/09/informations-et-prevention-adolescents-et-internet/) [Sept. 29]
– a talk on being a blogging/social media consultant in Europe for [BlogOpen](http://blogopen.eu/) in Novi Sad, Serbia [Oct.Nov. 10]
– [Multilinguisme web et problèmes associés](http://2007.paris-web.fr/Vendredi-16-novembre#booth) in Paris for Paris Web [Nov. 16]

And, as [you might have heard](http://twitter.com/stephtara/statuses/273739252), **I’m looking for a speaking agent**. If you can recommend any good speaking agents who work with European-based speakers, please drop me a line or a comment.